Child&#39;s beverage dispenser



April 21, 1959 M. WEISER CHILD'S BEVERAGE DISPENSER Filed April 28, 1955 1 A INVENTOR. MORR/J was United States Patent CHILD'S BEVERAGE DISPENSER Morris Weiser, Farmingdale, N.Y. Application April 28, 1955, Serial No. 504,595.

g 5 Claims. (Cl. 73-317) The present invention relates to a drinking cup or similar article, and more particularly to a childs or infants drinking cup, and is directed to the provision of an article of the character described which will stimulate and encourage a child or infant in the consumption of liquids, especially milk and fruit juices by creating an interest for the child or infant in the-reduction of the volume of liquid in the drinking cup or the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a childs drinking cup or the like which provides visible externalevidence of the lowering of the level of liquid within the cup as by the child. g

It is another object of the present invention to provide a childs drinking cup of the character described in which the visible external evidence of the falling of the liquid level within the cup is in the form of the mechanical movement of a figure or object externally of the cup and within sight of the child.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a childs drinking cup or the like in which the object orfigure moves gradually toward a definite goal which is associated in the mind of the child with the moving object and which is reached when the liquid within the cup is completely consumed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a childs drinking cup or the like in which the moving object or figure and the goal toward which it moves are of ornamental appearance and of interest to and readily comprehensible to a child.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a childs drinking cup or the like of the character described which may be easily and conveniently and safely used by a child.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a childs drinking cup of the character described which is of relatively simple construction, which is relatively strong and sturdy and which may be relatively economically produced.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the childs drinking cup or the like of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawing and from the description following. It is to be understood, however, that such embodiment is shown by way of illustration only, to make the principles and practice of the invention more readily comprehensible, and without any intent of limiting the invention to the specific details therein shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional and partly elevational view of one embodiment of a drinking cup of the present invention, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l and showing the appearance of the cup when empty; the broken lines indicating the appearance of the same when full; and

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of such cup.

Generally stated, the present invention resides in the provision for a drinking cup of a cover on the exterior 2 of which there is a vertically movable object or figure actuated from the interior of the cup by one end of a lever carrying a float on its other end. The cover may also carry an external upright guiding post in a form generally associated with the moving object or figure and also serves to guide such object or figure in its upward movement and may also supply the ultimate goal for its contents are gradually consumed the object.

Referring now more specifically to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the same comprises a liquid container or cup, 10, which may be formed of any desired material conventionally used for the purpose, such as glass, ceramics, metal or synthetic plastic It may be of any desired size and of any shape, conventional or one suitable to the theme of the moving object or figure. In the illustrative embodiment the container 10 is shown as somewhat oval shaped, suggesting the outline of a ship or boat.

The cup 10 is provided with a cover 12, preferably having a depending flange, 14, that may fit either aboutor within the opening of the cup 10. The cover 12 and flange 14 may be integrally formed of any desired suitable material, but preferably of synthetic plastic mate'- rial, because of the ease and economy of mass production by molding and because it is not fragile;

The cover 12 may be formed with an opening, 16, ad-

I jacent an edge portion thereof, which opening may be provided with reinforced or thickened marginal edge portion, 18, and may serve for the insertion of a drinkir 1g straw, 20, therethrough. The cover 12 may also be provided with a second opening, 22, adjacent its edge, diametrically opposite to the opening 18, A post, 24," is dependently secured, in any desired, suitable manner, to the underside of the cover 12; the post being of a length extending about halfway, more" or less, into the cup 10, and is preferably formed'with a forked free end in which may be arranged and pivoted intermediate its ends, as by a pin, 26, a lever, 28. Such lever may carry, at one end, a float, 28, and may be so oriented that its other end lies below the opening 22 and said other end is formed with a longitudinally extending slot, 30.

A rod, 32, is inserted through the slot 22, extending partly below and partly above the cover 12. The rod carries an ornamental object or figure at its upper end, such as the flag, 34, which is either integrally formed therewith or suitably secured thereto, and it carries at its lower, inner end, a transverse pin, 36, which engages and is reciprocable within the slot 30.

A post, 38, may be mounted on the exterior of the cover 12, closely adjacent to the opening 22, around which may be engaged a guide loop, 40, secured to the rod 32 or to the figure or object 34. The post may be made in a form to represent an article that is readily associated in the mind of the child with the movable object or figure and with the movement thereof. In the embodiment illustrated, wherein the drinking cup is in the form of a ship or boat and the moving object, 34,

is in the form of a flag, the post 38 is in the form of a As the liquid within the cup is reduced by the childs drinking, its level drops. The float lowers and the opposed end of the lever 28 rises, gradually raising the rod 32 and the flag 36, until the liquid is completely consumed, when the flag reaches its goal, its highest point with respect to the mast 38,, asshown infull lines in Fig. 1.

While the invention has been illustrated in the form of a ship having amastand a flag :that is raised thereon, other associated figures and objects may be utilized, many-of them readily suggest themselves to the mind. Thus, the moving object may be a monkey and the post representa palm tree. Or, the .moving object may be a fireman and the post represent azladder.

This completes the description of the childs drinking cup and the manner of its operation. It will be readily apparent that such drinking cup will be of great interest and attraction to a child and that it will stimulate and encourage it to drink the contents of the cup because of a desire to complete the movement of the object or figure to its goal. It will also be apparent that the drinking cup or the like of the present invention may be formed in a great many variations all of interest and attraction for-a child; and that such cup is of relatively simple construction and economical to produce.

It will be further apparent that numerous modifications andvariations in the drinking cup of the present invention may be made by any one skilled in the art, in accordance with the ,principlesof the invention hereinabove set forth and without the exercise of any inventive ingenuity. I desire, therefore, to be protected for .any and all such modifications and variations that may be made within .the spirit .of the present invention and the ,scopepf the claims hereto appended.

What I claim is:

l. A beverage dispensing device for a :child, of the character described, comprising an open top liquid con- 'tainer and a removable cover for said container, said cover having an opening formed therein adapted to receive a drinking tube therethrough and a second opening vformed therein spaced from said first opening, said cover having a dependent post centrally-supported from the underside thereof, a lever pivotally supported intermediate its ends from -the free end of said post, said lever having a float secured thereto .at one end thereof and an upright rod passing through said second opening pivotally and slidably engaging the other end thereof.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein said upright rod is provided with a figure at its upper end above said cover.

3. The article of claim 1, wherein said upright rod has a figure mounted thereon at its upper end above said cover and wherein an upright element is fixed on said cover extending upwardly thereon adjacent said second opening and means connected to said rod slidably engage said tupright element for steadying and guiding said rod.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein said lever is oriented to have its upright engaging end substantially underlie said second opening.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein said lever is oriented to have its upright engaging vend substantially underlie said secondopening and wherein said lever endsisformed with a longitudinally extending slot and said upright element is provided with a transversely extending pin engaging within said slot.

References Cited in the file .of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 759,209 Beam May 3, 1904 1,267,061 De Meyer May 21, 1918 1,274,316 Otto July 30, 1918 1,435,986 Scoville Nov. 21, 1922 1,618,775 Neuls Feb. 22, 1927 1,626,789 Creed May 3, 1927 1,916,646 'Tycko July 4, 1933 2,475,080 Courcier July 5, .1949 2,509,770 Krestce May 30, 1950 2,544,594 Goldfarb Mar. 6, 1951 2,684,181 Neuner July 20, 1954 2,718,784 .Brake Sept. 27, 1955 2,731,751 Green Jan. 24, 1956 

